Need help understanding this Kerry medals thing

[PlanetBev]

Overworked property manager here. Haven't had a chance to pay much attention to the latest media non-issue. What's got the GOP's undies in a bunch? What exactly are they accusing him of? I don't quite get the angle on this thing. Sounds like another GOP choke the chicken fest from where I stand...

[lectrobyte]

1. my take on it all

Supposedly he threw his medals back over the fence of the white house after returning home in 1971 or so. Only they turned out to be just the ribbons, and some other folks medals. Seems to be me to be way less of an issue than walking away from flying jets in the ANG, or refusing to take a physical.

On edit, I realize I've not added much to answer your question. Anyway, I'm surprised this story is played up as much as it is, too. I guess the implication is that he lied about throwing in his medals 30 years ago, unlike someone lying about WMD last year. Chicken choke fest indeed.

[dogman]

2. Usual BS

to confuse the issues over nothing. He originally said he threw medals away. Later he said he threw ribbons away and someone else's medals. Most civilians don't know the difference between ribbons and medals. The medal has an actual medallion attached to the ribbon. A ribbon is just a piece of the ribbon that is normally worn to represent the medal as that would be cumbersome. The whole medal is normally worn only with the "dress uniform". It's just like them saying his wound was not serious enough for the Purple Heart. That is not considered in the awarding of the Purple Heart.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. My take is that their "War Hero" isn't...

...and his record proves it. Since they can't make him better than he is they are resorting to what they know best. Discredit your opponent no matter what or how unfair/untrue your allegationsa re. I call it the "Clinton Factor". When faced with an opponent they can't beat or drag down they mudsling.

[Jawja]

10. Same as "Goring"

Instead of focusing on the issues important to America, pound on dumbass things like, "he said he invented the internet, haw haw haw" - now it's, "Kerry lied about his medals."

[emulatorloo]

4. In a nutshell - Karen Hughes is a lying creep pretending to be a aw

shucks housewife, the Repugs are the Party of False Outrage (I AM OUTRAGED, I TELL YOU), and this is the best they can do because there were no 'scandals' to be had in Kerry's military records. More dumb bullshit from the right wing spin machine. It is time to just start laughing at them.

[ikojo]

5. Regardless of WHAT Kerry did with his medals/ribbons

it doesn't matter in 2004....

AT LEAST HE HAD MEDALS!!!!

What did BUSH have to show for the Viet Nam war? A line of coke? The sniffles?

[Ilsa]

7. Exactly! Kerry beats Shrub on military service

and they know it! So they are trying to start a "liar liar pants on fire" campaign against Kerry. I think it could come back to haunt them if Kerry people went face to face with these whiners and asked what george did with his medals. "Oh that's right, he didn't get any, did he. And neither did Cheney. Or Wolfowicz."

[rock]

6. See, it's this easy. It's discuss this or

discuss the issues. And little georgie don't do so well on the issues.

[John_H]

8. Chimp is a coward who checked the "do not volunteer" box.

Kerry served as a hero. They want to negate that.

[BabsSong]

9. The real issue here is:

..that this "military thing" is a slam dunk for Kerry and he said in answer to this that Bush should "bring it on!". Well, Bush is bringing it on and Kerry is doing nothing about it. He either utters the word "AWOL" or he's just beating his chest but not answering the challenge. Kerry has to step up and call Bush AWOL or say "I'll put my medals out, let's see Bush's", etc.---you get the picture. But as yet I do not see that kind of challenge. And Kerry told us they were not going to do to him what they did to Max. Looks like they are. Kerry is going to have to stop the verbage and swing back. I'm waiting.

[Jawja]

11. Maybe

Kerry doesn't want to get into a "little boy's spat" over who has the best military record and is not falling for the the Bush machine distraction. Perhaps Kerry wants to focus on the issues in this campaign and sees that he cannot win by allowing the Busheviks to keep the subject focused on something as dumbass as Kerry's medals?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Kerry did swing back and likewise spoke out about the hidden military

coffins...

I think you just aren't looking very hard

[MasonJar]

13. MoveOn is about to put out a new ad and I think this is the sub-

ject. They need money to run it; I sent them $50.